Sometimes admitting you need God's help is more than half the battle. The more you do it, the more often it becomes the first thing you do instead of the last.

Psalm 38: 21-22

Do not forsake me, O LORD; O my God, be not far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!

Horizons 1-Year Through the Bible reading 3-30-13

Our Granddaughters on Spring Break with us in Florida.

Deuteronomy 28:2

And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God.

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The Bible is amazing! Both these readings are on my schedule today. Like pieces in a mosaic. Thank God for this book.

Deuteronomy 18:18-22

I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.

And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.

But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’

And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’

when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.

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Luke 4:16-21

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read.

And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,

to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”

And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.

And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

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We always skim past these verses, but generation after generation after generation preserved its faith in God to produce Mary who said '-OK I'm willing- and Joseph who said -I'll marry her anyway-. You and I have a longer list but here we are. Are you willing to do your part? Even if it is just having faith?

Luke 3:21-38

Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened,

and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son as was supposed of Joseph, the son of Heli,

the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,

the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai,

the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda,

the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,

the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,

the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,

the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,

the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,

the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon,

the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 

the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,

the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah,

the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,

the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan,

the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

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Where would we be without the Holy Spirit? Lost, lonely, yearning, afraid? The Holy Spirit shows us truth and in this case the one thing that can save us from ourselves.

Luke 2:25-32

Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 

Gelder, Simeon's song of praise c1700

he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,a light for revelation to the Gentiles,and for glory to your people Israel.”

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"Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart." What a shockingly powerful image. If your heart were totally unprotected to whom would you trust it?

Deuteronomy 10:14-22

Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it.

Marina Agapova

Yet the Lord set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day. 

Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.

For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe.

He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing.

Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.

You shall fear the Lord your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear.

He is your praise. He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen.

Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons, and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven.

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Peace is such a gift, it comes from His steadfast love. If you are unhappy there is probably a simple answer.

Deuteronomy 7:12-13

“And because you listen to these rules and keep and do them, the Lord your God will keep with you the covenant and the steadfast love that he swore to your fathers.

Michael Dixon

He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your wine and your oil, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock, in the land that he swore to your fathers to give you.

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A quick review is always good. Think about the ones you keep and the ones you feel aren't relevant anymore. The promise for obedience is 'that it may go well with you.' That's worth a lot.

Deuteronomy 5:6-22

“‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

“‘You shall have no other gods before me.

“‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,

but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

“‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

“‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you.

Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 

but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.

You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

“‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

“‘You shall not murder.

“‘And you shall not commit adultery.

“‘And you shall not steal.

“‘And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

“‘And you shall not covet your neighbor's wife. And you shall not desire your neighbor's house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.’

“These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly at the mountain out of the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and he added no more. And he wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.

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When it is time to step aside, you must do it. Encourage those who take up the reins after you, it is an act of service, it is humble and it takes courage.

Deuteronomy 3:23-28

“Then I pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying:

‘O Lord God, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand, for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do anything like Your works and Your mighty deeds?

I pray, let me cross over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, those pleasant mountains, and Lebanon.’

“But the Lord was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me. So the Lord said to me: ‘Enough of that! Speak no more to Me of this matter.

Go up to the top of Pisgah, and lift your eyes toward the west, the north, the south, and the east; behold it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan.

But command Joshua, and encourage him and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you will see.’

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Our God is magnificent. Pray magnificently, joyfully (and often.)

Psalm 36:5-6

Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

Your righteousness is like the great mountains; Your judgments are a great deep; O Lord, You preserve man and beast.

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It seems so harsh, but we don't have God's perspective. He asks for obedience and he does keep his promises. Whether we obey or not.

Numbers 33:51-56
“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you have crossed the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, destroy all their engraved stones, destroy all their molded images, and demolish all their high places;

you shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land and dwell in it, for I have given you the land to possess. 
And you shall divide the land by lot as an inheritance among your families; to the larger you shall give a larger inheritance, and to the smaller you shall give a smaller inheritance; there everyone’s inheritance shall be whatever falls to him by lot. You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers.
But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall be that those whom you let remain shall be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land where you dwell.
Moreover it shall be that I will do to you as I thought to do to them.’”
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=numbers33:51-56&version=NKJV

As a Christian, I am constantly falling asleep on the job. I want to do better, I really do, then my eyes become heavy. Thank God he loves me anyway, and I just pray every day to do better.

Mark 14:37-40

Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour?

By Samara Mondello

Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words.

And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.

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Give up gossiping and profanity for a week. See what happens. You'll be amazed!

Psalm 34:11-14

Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

Who is the man who desires life, And loves many days, that he may see good?

Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit.

Saul Goodman photos

Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.

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Think how small is a human heart in the grand scheme of things, and yet it is through this small masterpiece in every individual that God does His work.

Psalm 33:12-15

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.

The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men.

From the place of His dwelling He looks On all the inhabitants of the earth;

He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works.

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Whatever the question, love is always the answer.

Mark 12:32-34

So the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He.

And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”But after that no one dared question Him.

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God uses his creation to set you straight. Choose to listen. It might spare you from running into a wall!

Numbers 22: 22b-32

Now he (Balaam) was riding on the donkey, and his two servants were with him.

And the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand. And the donkey turned aside out of the road and went into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the road.

Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on either side.

And when the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she pushed against the wall and pressed Balaam's foot against the wall. So he struck her again.

Then the angel of the Lord went ahead and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left.

When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam. And Balaam's anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff.

Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”

And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you.”

And the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Is it my habit to treat you this way?” And he said, “No.”

Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand. And he bowed down and fell on his face.

And the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you because your way is perverse before me.

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"All His work is done in truth." Truth is a powerful thing, try doing it in all your work. It will challenge you for a lifetime and be well worth the effort.

Psalm 33:1-9

Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful.

Praise the Lord with the harp; Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings. 

Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy.

For the word of the Lord is right, And all His work is done in truth.

He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.

He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses.

Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.

For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.

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My heart and eyes are inclined to all kinds of distractions. God knows us, we need moment by moment reminders that obedience is key.

Numbers 15:37-40

Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

“Speak to the children of Israel: Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners.

And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined,

and that you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy for your God.

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At that moment when you have a choice to overcome, or to give in to yourself, that is the moment to have courage and that is the moment God strengthens your heart. Try it. God keeps his promises.

Psalm 31:21-24

Blessed be the Lord,
For He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city!
For I said in my haste,
“I am cut off from before Your eyes”;

Scott Braden photos

Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications
When I cried out to You.

Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints
For the Lord preserves the faithful,
And fully repays the proud person.
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord.

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Whatever we're given is not enough! Whatever we do is too hard! Overcoming our human nature is a true act of faith. No wonder God loves a grateful heart.

Numbers 11:4-15

Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, “Oh that we had meat to eat!

We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic.

But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.”

Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of bdellium.

The people went about and gathered it and ground it in handmills or beat it in mortars and boiled it in pots and made cakes of it. And the taste of it was like the taste of cakes baked with oil.

When the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell with it.

Moses heard the people weeping throughout their clans, everyone at the door of his tent. And the anger of the Lord blazed hotly, and Moses was displeased.

Moses said to the Lord, “Why have you dealt ill with your servant? And why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me?

Did I conceive all this people? Did I give them birth, that you should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing child,’ to the land that you swore to give their fathers?

Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me and say, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’

I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me.

If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness.”

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If you know someone who has a close relationship with God, by all means, hang out with them and share your talent.

Numbers 10:29-32

And Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place of which the Lord said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will do good to you, for the Lord has promised good to Israel.”

Photo: Jan Galek

But he said to him, “I will not go. I will depart to my own land and to my kindred.”

And he said, “Please do not leave us, for you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you will serve as eyes for us.

And if you do go with us, whatever good the Lord will do to us, the same will we do to you.”

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We think there's nothing to be done, each of us struggling with our own demons. Be like the father here. Ask for help, "Help my unbelief!"

Mark 9:17-27

And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute.

And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.”

And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.”

And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth.

And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood.

And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”

Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”

And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.”

But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

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My favorite blessing in the bible!

Numbers 6:24-26

The Lord bless you and keep you;

 Paul Vo

the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;

the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

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I've had plenty of heart ache. Not so much since I started studying the Bible. Hmmm.

Leviticus 26:13-16

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. And I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect. 

“But if you will not listen to me and will not do all these commandments,

if you spurn my statutes, and if your soul abhors my rules, so that you will not do all my commandments, but break my covenant,

then I will do this to you: I will visit you with panic, with wasting disease and fever that consume the eyes and make the heart ache. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.

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